The study showed almost four-in-10 night shift workers were at risk of having an accident - with reactions slowed in a similar way to being over the limit Dangerous: Driving home after a night shift could be as risky as drink driving Night shift workers could be putting themselves as much at risk as if they drove home after drinking alcohol, researchers have claimed. A study in the US suggests almost four-in-10 night shift workers were at risk of having an accident - with reactions slowed in a similar way to being over the limit . Those who commute home may be at high risk for drowsy driving crashes because of disruption to their sleep-wake cycles and insufficient sleep during the night. The study showed 37.5 per cent of motorists participating in a test drive after working the night shift were involved in a near-crash event. The same drivers - with sufficient sleep the night before the test - had zero such incidents. Dr Michael Lee, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, said: "Even veteran night shift workers were vulnerable to the risks associated with drowsy driving and exhibited reactions similar to behaviors observed in drivers with elevated blood alcohol concentrations. "A short commute for these drivers is shown to be potentially dangerous and the longer the drive the greater the risk. "Education about drowsy driving and its potential hazards could minimize this risk by prompting shift workers to eliminate or reduce the need to drive after night shift work and to stop driving when their performance is impaired by drowsiness." The results demonstrate for the first time an increased risk of 'drowsy driving' related motor vehicle crashes - as well as an increase in sleepiness when operating a real motor vehicle during the day following night shift work. In the UK about 3.5 million people work night shifts which has also been linked to a range of serious diseases from type 2 diabetes to heart disease and cancer. The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences got 16 night shift workers to complete a pair of two-hour driving sessions on a closed driving track. Tests: Researchers studied the effects on drivers Prior to one of the sessions participants slept an average of 7.6 hours the previous night with no night shift work. Prior to the other session the same participants were tested after working a night shift. Sleep-related impairment was evident within the first 15 minutes of driving. Participants had a significantly higher rate of going into the wrong lane. Participants had longer blink duration and increased number of slow eye movements. They showed increased drowsiness, impairment,and crash risk over the duration of the drive. The risk of micro-sleep episodes - sleep for less than three seconds - increased after driving for greater than 30 minutes. Source
